‘Pride and Prejudice and Zombies’ Makes Unfortunate Rise from Death with David O. Russell’s Screenplay Intact

When Dark Shadows and Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter not only bombed but, at once, also exposed a wide audience to the weakness of Seth Grahame-Smith‘s work, I figured that was kind of “it” for the guy. A third, earlier nail in that coffin was Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, the troubled, at-the-time-cancelled adaptation of his popular mash-up between Jane Austen and the undead — which I don’t get, but which generated an entire screenplay from David O. Russell and the interest of Natalie Portman, among talented others. After their creative involvement ended up dissipating, things dragged along before, months later, gas simply ran out.

I’m not one to partake in schadenfreude, but watching that one unfold felt mighty good.

It is with great disappointment, then, that I learn it is being revived. A press release from the Annapurna-backed Panorama Media, Darko Entertainment, Handsomecharlie Films, and producer Allison Shearmur announces the start of new development on Pride, with Natalie Portman coming back (merely as a producer, thankfully). There’s one bright side — or silver lining, if you’d like — that being the quick note that Russell‘s screenplay will be used for this production. So this isn’t completely terrible news. Just terrible.

A director or star have not yet been found — and, given how that search went last time out, an insincere “good luck” to the team — while rights will be sold at Cannes. To every buyer with a deep pocket heading there in a few months: please, don’t do this.